Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities
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December 2011

Arsenic Virtual Trade Show

Posted Wed, 2011/12/14 - 4:05pm by RCAP

A learning portal designed to help water systems comply with EPA's Arsenic Rule.

On it, you can:

Format: 
Report
Topic: 
Regulations
Source: 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Plant manager

Arsenic Treatment Technology Evaluation Handbook for Small Systems

Posted Wed, 2011/12/14 - 4:02pm by RCAP

A technical handbook intended to help small drinking water systems make treatment decisions to comply with the revised arsenic rule. A “small” system is defined as a system serving 10,000 or fewer people. Average water demand for these size systems is normally less than 1.4 million gallons per day (MGD).

126 pages

Download the guide

Format: 
Printed guide
Topic: 
Regulations
Source: 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Plant manager

The Water We Drink: Small Community Outreach Campaign

Posted Wed, 2011/12/14 - 3:54pm by RCAP
Graphic for the campaign

The campaign provides information about maintaining safe, sustainable, and secure water supplies in small and rural communities. This outreach campaign is a joint effort by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) and the National Environmental Services Center (NESC) to provide information and increase awareness about crucial water issues, especially for rural and small community decision-makers and water and wastewater board members.

The information the campaign provides:

Format: 
Website
Topic: 
Finance
Rates
Operations (technical)
Management
Energy use
Planning
Regional cooperation
Security/emergency-response planning
Board/council
Source: 
RCAP
National Environmental Services Center
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Financial manager/accountant/bookkeeper
Plant manager
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)

Solid-waste transfer station at Ft. Washakie, Wy.

Posted Wed, 2011/12/14 - 12:00pm by RCAP

Story courtesy of USDA Rural Development (slightly edited by RCAP), April 2011

Outline of need

The Wind River Environmental Quality Commission (WREQC) is charged by the Joint Business Council of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe to regulate environmental matters on the Wind River Indian Reservation (WRIR). This includes management of solid waste, which has been a serious environmental and health issue on the Wind River Indian Reservation historically.

How RCAP helped

CNN's Defining America profiles Las Lomas, Texas, where RCAP has been involved

Posted Wed, 2011/12/14 - 11:11am by RCAP

In the summer of 2011, CNN's Defining America project explored the stories behind the statistics that we so often hear about to show how places are changing.

One profile done by the project was of a remote community in the heel of southern Texas' Rio Grande Valley - Las Lomas, a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in unincorporated Starr County.

Kentucky colleges wage battle against bottled water

Posted Wed, 2011/12/14 - 10:31am by RCAP

Kentucky.com carried this story in October about how colleges in the state are encouraging their students to not consume bottled water and to use multi-use containers.

Read about how they have installed "hydration stations"


 

Community Facilities Technical Assistance: Helping Rural Leaders Provide Basic Community Services in Small-town America

Posted Tue, 2011/12/13 - 3:17pm by RCAP

A policy paper written by Ari Neumann, Director of Policy Development and Applied Research in the RCAP national office

Download the paper

Format: 
Report
Topic: 
Public policy
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
State/federal decision-maker

Still Living Without the Basics in the 21st Century

Posted Tue, 2011/12/13 - 3:08pm by RCAP
Cover of guide

Still Living Without the Basics in the 21st Century: Analyzing the Availability of Water and Sanitation Services in the United States is a book that was published in 2004 as a result of research and analysis by Stephen Gasteyer, PhD, RCAP's Director of Community Development at that time. His research was based in large part on data from the 2000 census.

Format: 
Policy paper/study/analysis
Topic: 
Public policy
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
State/federal decision-maker

ARRA Registering and Reporting Guide for Water/Wastewater Systems with Loans/Grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Utilities Service

Posted Tue, 2011/12/13 - 10:46am by RCAP
Cover of guide

Walks communities that received loans of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds through USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) (for water and wastewater projects) through the special reporting processes that must be followed for ARRA funds. Written in clear and understandable language and in a Q&A format. Includes common mistakes to be avoided that the authors have seen in communities they have assisted and many tips for each part of the registering and reporting process to make it easier.

Format: 
Printed guide
Topic: 
Finance
Reporting
Loans/grants
Borrowing
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Financial manager/accountant/bookkeeper
Mayor/town manager/elected official
Related Resources: 
USDA Rural Utilities Service Borrower's Guide: A How-to for Water and Wastewater Loans from USDA Rural Development